Security footage captures four hooded men who stole $27,000 worth of laptops and other gadgets from the Apple Store in Fashion Fair Mall in Fresno in 2018. Screen capture from Apple Store Footage via YouTube.

The California Retailers Association and the California Hotel and Lodging Association have partnered with Assemblymember Al Muratsuchi (D – Torrence) to propose Assembly Bill 2390, with the intent of strengthening Proposition 47.

Passed by California voters in 2014, Prop 47 increased the dollar amount by which theft can be prosecuted as a felony from $400 to $950. AB 2390 would allow separate instances of retail theft to be counted in aggregate towards the $950 felony threshold.

For example, someone in the course of a day could steal from five different retailers, and as long as the amount taken from each is valued at less than $950, they would each count as misdemeanor charges. AB 2390 would allow for those values to be added up. 

“Property theft is a major problem in California,” said Assemblymember Al Muratsuchi. “My bill, AB 2390, would hold criminal offenders accountable while providing diversion programs to address the root causes of the crime, such as poverty, mental disorder, or childhood trauma.”

This bill would open the door for past offenders to be eligible for diversion programs established by Proposition 47, deterring repeat offenders and providing individuals in need with an alternative to incarceration, opting for life-changing diversion and job training programs, according to a news release.

“We need to strengthen and reform California’s underutilized diversion programs to create viable alternatives to jail through rehabilitation that diverts repeat offenders — helping them grow and change. Assembly Bill 2390 (Muratsuchi) prioritizes diversion and job training and provides the tools for repeat offenders to make better life choices,” said California Retailers Association President and CEO Rachel Michelin. “This is truly a policy all stakeholders can get behind.”

The California Retailers Association is co-sponsoring this legislation and has also taken the lead of Californians for Safe Stores and Neighborhoods, which also supports AB 2390.

Amendments to previously approved initiatives typically must pass voter approval in order to go into effect. However, California’s Legislative Counsel has stated that the proposed changes “strengthen the spirit of the initiative and therefore only require adoption by two-thirds of both state houses.”

The bill must also be signed by Governor Gavin Newsom.

The bill is scheduled to be brought before committee on April 5.